scholarly journals In situ Ozone Production is highly sensitive to Volatile Organic Compounds in the Indian Megacity of Delhi

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth S. Nelson ◽  
Gareth J. Stewart ◽  
Will S. Drysdale ◽  
Mike J. Newland ◽  
Adam R. Vaughan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Pollution Abatement ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Photolysis Rates ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Abatement Strategies

Abstract. The Indian megacity of Delhi suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the world. While ambient NO2 and particulate matter (PM) concentrations have received considerable attention in the city, high ground level ozone (O3) concentrations are an often overlooked component of pollution. O3 can lead to significant ecosystem damage, agricultural crop losses, and adversely affect human health. During October 2018, concentrations of speciated non-methane hydrocarbons volatile organic compounds (C2 – C13), oxygenated volatile organic compounds (o-VOCs), NO, NO2, HONO, CO, SO2, O3, and photolysis rates, were continuously measured at an urban site in Old Delhi. These observations were used to constrain a detailed chemical box model utilising the Master Chemical Mechanism v3.3.1. VOCs and NOx (NO + NO2) were varied in the model to test their impact on local O3 production rates, P(O3), which revealed a VOC-limited chemical regime. When only NOx concentrations were reduced, a significant increase in P(O3) was observed, thus VOC co-reduction approaches must also be considered in pollution abatement strategies. Of the VOCs examined in this work, mean morning P(O3) rates were most sensitive to monoaromatic compounds, followed by monoterpenes and alkenes, where halving their concentrations in the model led to a 15.6 %, 13.1 % and 12.9 % reduction in P(O3), respectively. P(O3) was not sensitive to direct changes in aerosol surface area but was very sensitive to changes in photolysis rates, which may be influenced by future changes in PM concentrations. VOC and NOx concentrations were divided into emission source sectors, as described by the EDGAR v5.0 Global Air Pollutant Emissions and EDGAR v4.3.2_VOC_spec inventories, allowing for the impact of individual emission sources on P(O3) to be investigated. Reducing road transport emissions only, a common strategy in air pollution abatement strategies worldwide, was found to increase P(O3), even when the source was removed in its entirety. Effective reduction in P(O3) was achieved by reducing road transport along with emissions from combustion for manufacturing and process emissions. Modelled P(O3) reduced by ~20 ppb h−1 when these combined sources were halved. This study highlights the importance of reducing VOCs in parallel with NOx and PM in future pollution abatement strategies in Delhi.

scholarly journals In situ ozone production is highly sensitive to volatile organic compounds in Delhi, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 13609-13630
Author(s):  
Beth S. Nelson ◽  
Gareth J. Stewart ◽  
Will S. Drysdale ◽  
Mike J. Newland ◽  
Adam R. Vaughan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Pollution Abatement ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Photolysis Rates ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Abatement Strategies

Abstract. The Indian megacity of Delhi suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the world. While ambient NO2 and particulate matter (PM) concentrations have received considerable attention in the city, high ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations are an often overlooked component of pollution. O3 can lead to significant ecosystem damage and agricultural crop losses, and adversely affect human health. During October 2018, concentrations of speciated non-methane hydrocarbon volatile organic compounds (C2–C13), oxygenated volatile organic compounds (o-VOCs), NO, NO2, HONO, CO, SO2, O3, and photolysis rates, were continuously measured at an urban site in Old Delhi. These observations were used to constrain a detailed chemical box model utilising the Master Chemical Mechanism v3.3.1. VOCs and NOx (NO + NO2) were varied in the model to test their impact on local O3 production rates, P(O3), which revealed a VOC-limited chemical regime. When only NOx concentrations were reduced, a significant increase in P(O3) was observed; thus, VOC co-reduction approaches must also be considered in pollution abatement strategies. Of the VOCs examined in this work, mean morning P(O3) rates were most sensitive to monoaromatic compounds, followed by monoterpenes and alkenes, where halving their concentrations in the model led to a 15.6 %, 13.1 %, and 12.9 % reduction in P(O3), respectively. P(O3) was not sensitive to direct changes in aerosol surface area but was very sensitive to changes in photolysis rates, which may be influenced by future changes in PM concentrations. VOC and NOx concentrations were divided into emission source sectors, as described by the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) v5.0 Global Air Pollutant Emissions and EDGAR v4.3.2_VOC_spec inventories, allowing for the impact of individual emission sources on P(O3) to be investigated. Reducing road transport emissions only, a common strategy in air pollution abatement strategies worldwide, was found to increase P(O3), even when the source was removed in its entirety. Effective reduction in P(O3) was achieved by reducing road transport along with emissions from combustion for manufacturing and process emissions. Modelled P(O3) reduced by ∼ 20 ppb h−1 when these combined sources were halved. This study highlights the importance of reducing VOCs in parallel with NOx and PM in future pollution abatement strategies in Delhi.

scholarly journals A temporally and spatially resolved validation of emission inventories by measurements of ambient volatile organic compounds in Beijing, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 5871-5891 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wang ◽  
M. Shao ◽  
W. Chen ◽  
B. Yuan ◽  
S. Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Suburban Area ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Emission Inventories ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Current Emission ◽  
Ambient Measurements

Abstract. Understanding the sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is essential for ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) abatement measures. We made VOC measurements at 27 sites and online observations at an urban site in Beijing from July 2009 to January 2012. Based on these measurement data, we determined the spatial and temporal distribution of VOCs, estimated their annual emission strengths based on their emission ratios relative to carbon monoxide (CO), and quantified the relative contributions of various sources using the chemical mass balance (CMB) model. These results from ambient measurements were compared with existing emission inventories to evaluate the spatial distribution, species-specific emissions, and source structure of VOCs in Beijing. The measured VOC distributions revealed a hotspot in the southern suburban area of Beijing, whereas current emission inventories suggested that VOC emissions were concentrated in downtown areas. Compared with results derived from ambient measurements, the annual inventoried emissions of oxygenated VOC (OVOC) species and C2–C4 alkanes may be underestimated, while the emissions of styrene and 1,3-butadiene may be overestimated by current inventories. Source apportionment using the CMB model identified vehicular exhaust as the most important VOC source, with the relative contribution of 49%, in good agreement with the 40–51% estimated by emission inventories. The relative contribution of paint and solvent utilization obtained from the CMB model was 14%, significantly lower than the value of 32% reported by one existing inventory. Meanwhile, the relative contribution of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) usage calculated using the CMB model was 6%, whereas LPG usage contribution was not reported by current emission inventories. These results suggested that VOC emission strengths in southern suburban area of Beijing, annual emissions of C2–C4 alkanes, OVOCs and some alkenes, and the contributions of solvent and paint utilization and LPG usage in current inventories all require significant revisions.

Volatile Organic Compounds in the atmosphere of the Great Athens area: The case of a port site close to Piraeus, Greece

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Liakakou ◽  
Anastasia Panopoulou ◽  
Georgios Grivas ◽  
Stéphane Sauvage ◽  
Theodora Kritikou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Low Wind Speed ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Transport Ship ◽  
The Impact

<p>VOCs are key atmospheric constituents for both health and climate issues and further knowledge is still needed about their sources and fate. The presence of volatile organic compounds in ambient air is strongly dependent on the site characteristics and a harbor area undergoes many source typologies such as road transport, ship emissions and contaminants of commercial activities, the shipbuilding zone and other operating facilities. The current work was implemented at the recently established Atmospheric Pollution Monitoring Station of the Municipality of Keratsini-Drapetsona located in the close vicinity of the Piraeus port. Since December 2018 an automatic gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector (FID) continuously monitors at a 30 minutes time resolution non methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) focusing on hazardous compounds (aromatics) and strong precursors (aromatics, monoterpenes) of secondary pollutants like ozone and secondary organic aerosols. High levels of benzene were observed, especially during the morning to noon period, and the mean concentration of both benzene and toluene were two-folded in summer (July and August 2019) compared to winter (January and February 2019). Ethylbenzene follows the same pattern, whereas xylenes presented comparable levels during the cold and warm periods. Preliminary results based on source apportionment techniques are presented. In general terms the NMHC levels present their maximum under the impact of low wind speed, addressing thus the role of local emission sources, which are further investigated by the ratios used as tracking tools of processes of different origin (e.g. the traffic related ratio of toluene/benzene).</p>

scholarly journals Sources of volatile organic compounds and policy implications for regional ozone pollution control in an urban location of Nanjing, East China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiuyue Zhao ◽  
Jun Bi ◽  
Zhenghao Ling ◽  
Qian Liu ◽  
Guofeng Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Chemical Mechanism ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Biogenic Emissions ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Photochemical Pollution ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract. Understanding the composition, temporal variability, and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is necessary for determining effective control measures to minimize VOCs and its related photochemical pollution. To provide a comprehensive analysis of VOC sources and their contributions to ozone (O3) formation in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) – a region experiencing highest rates of industrial and economic development in China, we conducted a one-year sampling exercise for the first time at an urban site in Nanjing (JAES site). Alkanes were the dominant group at the JAES site, contributing ~ 53 % to the observed total VOCs, followed by aromatics (~ 17 %), acetylene (~ 17 %), and alkenes (~ 13 %). We identified seasonal variability in TVOCs with maximum and minimum concentrations in winter and summer, respectively. A morning and evening peak and a daytime trough were identified in the diurnal VOCs patterns. We identified the source apportionments of VOCs and their contributions to photochemical O3 formation using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) and observation-based model together with a Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM). The PMF model identified five dominant VOC sources, with highest contributions from diesel vehicular exhausts (34 ± 5 %), followed by gasoline vehicular exhausts (27 ± 3 %), industrial emissions (19 ± 2 %), fuel evaporation (15 ± 2 %) and biogenic emissions (4 ± 1 %). The results from the OBM-MCM model simulation inferred photochemical O3 formation to be VOC-limited at the JAES site when considering both the reactivity and abundance of the individual VOC species in each source category. Further, VOCs from vehicular and industrial emissions were found to be the dominant control on O3 formation, particularly the VOC species m,p-xylene, toluene and propene, which top priorities should be given to the alleviation of photochemical smog. However, when considering the reactivity and abundance of VOC species, the contribution of biogenic emissions to O3 pollution was significantly reduced. Our results therefore highlight the need to consider both the abundance and reactivity of individual VOC species in order to develop effective control strategies to minimize photochemical pollution in Nanjing.

scholarly journals An increasing role for solvent emissions and implications for future measurements of volatile organic compounds

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2183) ◽  
pp. 20190328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair C. Lewis ◽  
Jim R. Hopkins ◽  
David C. Carslaw ◽  
Jacqueline F. Hamilton ◽  
Beth S. Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Broad Class ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
National Monitoring ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Monitoring Strategies ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Atmospheric Concentrations

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a broad class of air pollutants which act as precursors to tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Total UK emissions of anthropogenic VOCs peaked in 1990 at 2,840 kt yr −1 and then declined to approximately 810 kt yr −1 in 2017 with large reductions in road transport and fugitive fuel emissions. The atmospheric concentrations of many non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) in the UK have been observed to fall over this period in broadly similar proportions. The relative contribution to emissions from solvents and industrial processes is estimated to have increased from approximately 35% in 1990 to approximately 63% in 2017. In 1992, UK national monitoring quantified 19 of the 20 most abundant individual anthropogenic VOCs emitted (all were NMHCs), but by 2017 monitoring captured only 13 of the top 20 emitted VOCs. Ethanol is now estimated to be the most important VOC emitted by mass (in 2017 approx. 136 kt yr −1 and approx. 16.8% of total emissions) followed by n -butane (52.4 kt yr −1 ) and methanol (33.2 kt yr −1 ). Alcohols have grown in significance representing approximately 10% of emissions in 1990 rising to approximately 30% in 2017. The increased role of solvent emissions should now be reflected in European monitoring strategies to verify total VOC emission reduction obligations in the National Emissions Ceiling Directive. Adding ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, acetone, 2-butanone and 2-propanol to the existing NMHC measurements would provide full coverage of the 20 most significant VOCs emitted on an annual mass basis. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Air quality, past present and future’.

scholarly journals Joint interpretation of geoelectrical and volatile organic compounds data: a case study in a hydrocarbons contaminated urban site

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Delgado-Rodríguez ◽  
David Flores-Hernández ◽  
Myriam A. Amezcua-Allieri ◽  
Andrés Rosas-Molina ◽  
Salvador Marín-Córdova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Joint Interpretation

scholarly journals Speciation of anthropogenic emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds: a global gridded data set for 1970–2012

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganlin Huang ◽  
Rosie Brook ◽  
Monica Crippa ◽  
Greet Janssens-Maenhout ◽  
Christian Schieberle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Emission Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Species Groups

Abstract. Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) include a large number of chemical species which differ significantly in their chemical characteristics and thus in their impacts on ozone and secondary organic aerosols formation. It is important that chemical transport models (CTMs) simulate the chemical transformation of the different NMVOC species in the troposphere consistently. In most emission inventories, however, only total NMVOC emissions are reported, which need to be decomposed into classes to fit the requirements of CTMs. For instance, the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) provides spatially resolved global anthropogenic emissions of total NMVOC. In this study the EDGAR NMVOC inventory was revised and extended in time and in sectors. Moreover the new version of NMVOC emission data in the EDGAR database were disaggregated on a high sector resolution to individual species or species groups, thus enhancing the usability of the NMVOC emission data by the modelling community. Region- and source-specific speciation profiles of NMVOC species or species groups, are compiled and mapped to EDGAR processes (high resolution of sectors), with corresponding quality codes specifying the quality of the mapping. Individual NMVOC species in different profiles are aggregated to 25 species groups, in line with the common classification of the Global Emissions Initiative (GEIA). Global annual grid maps with a resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° for the period 1970–2012 are produced by sector and species. Furthermore, trends of NMVOC composition are analysed taking road transport and residential sources in Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) as examples.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document